The Letters of the Duke of Wellington to Miss J., 1834-1851

"'P.S. I add a line to tell you that I have received; and am very sensible of the kindness of your Letter of the 18th in the middle of the day; which was brought down here this evening by a messenger from my House in London.

"'I am happy to find that you had received my Letter; you need not be apprehensive of my catching Cold on my Journeys. You may rely upon my taking care of myself.

"'Believe me Ever Yours most faithfully,

"'Wellington.'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated Oct. 24th, he writes—'I have to acknowledge the receipt of, and to thank you for your continued kindness in writing me two long letters.' At the end the Duke writes; 'It is possible that I may be under the necessity of going to London to attend to the opening of the New Royal Exchange.'

"The next letter from the Duke is dated Nov. 6th wherein he writes;

"'Some days have elapsed since I have heard from you and as I cannot recollect any reason for your silence I begin to be apprehensive that you may have been unwell and have been prevented by indisposition from writing to me. I therefore write this line to request you to write to me and let me know how you are.'

"On the same sheet the Duke writes Nov. 7th; 'I have this morning received yours of the 6th and am delighted to find that you are not indisposed. I was in Town on two different days in last week; in one I attended the Ceremony of opening the Royal Exchange by Her Majesty the Queen  [Endnote 6]—on another to attend the marriage and indeed to give away in marriage a young Lady and was under the necessity of returning here as Time, Tides and Trains or Railroads wait for no Man and I had not time even to write, much less to go to see you.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated Nov. 10th 1844 wherein he writes—'You always express in your letters the same interest for my welfare which has always drawn from me the expressions of my grateful sense of your kindness.' Again in the Duke's next letter dated Nov. the 12th he writes; 'Notwithstanding that I wrote to you so lately I will not suffer the Post to go this day without expressing my sense of your kindness in writing to me.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated Nov. 19th, in which he writes—'I intend to go to see you as soon as I shall have a moment's leisure. But my time is really so much employed in the service of the Public as to leave me none for social purposes and scarcely enough for Repose.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated Nov. 20th, wherein he writes—'I write you one line to tell you that if it should be in my power I will call upon you this day after three o'clock.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 3rd, wherein he writes—'I was so much occupied with public business that I could not call upon you again. I am quite well. Then I was at Windsor Castle in attendance upon Her Majesty the Queen during the five last days of last week. I have not got the Parcel to which you referred.'

"In the Duke's letter dated Dec. 11th, he writes; 'I have been very much concerned to hear that you are unwell. You must take care of yourself and keep yourself very warm in this bad weather.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 14th wherein he writes—'I returned to London last night having been detained at Windsor Castle till late in the afternoon and I went there on Thursday and received your Note dated the 13th, for which I am much obliged.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 20th wherein he writes—'I am very sorry, but my time is so much occupied, and while the Almighty will deign to permit me to live will be so occupied as that I shall not have leisure to pay visits. I have frequently expressed my regret that it should be so and repeat them now.'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated Dec. 21st, he writes; 'I am very sensible of the kindness of your letter of yesterday afternoon which I received last night.

"'I am, thank God! in perfect good health but have had the misfortune of losing my Sister. But I trust that by the Mercy of God! She is Happy.'  [Endnote 7]

"The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 24th, wherein he writes—'I have received several letters from you after my return to Town after paying the last Respects to the Memory of my poor Sister—I return you my thanks for them all and am very sensible of your kindness in writing to me.'

"In a letter from the Duke dated Dec. 26th, he writes—'I am sorry to learn that you have caught cold and are suffering from sore throat. I hope that you will take care of yourself and avoid to expose yourself to cold in this severe weather. I am very sensible of your kindness in writing to me as you have; I hope that I feel as I ought upon the occasion of the recent described affliction which I have suffered.'

"1845.—The first letter from the Duke, of this year, is dated Jan. 3rd, wherein he writes; 'I am very much obliged to you my dear Miss J. for several letters received from you in these last days; and regret that I was so much occupied when I received each of them as to be unable to acknowledge its receipt by return of Post. I am very sensible of your kindness in writing to me.'

"The next letter from the Duke is dated Jan. 13th wherein he writes—

"When I wrote to you last My dear Miss J. I omitted to thank you for one letter which I had received from you. The one to which I refer was dated the 23rd Inst., the day on which I attended the funeral of my poor Sister. I was in London for three days but my time was so much occupied that I could not even write to you, much less fix a time at which I could be able to pay you a visit.'

"In the next letter from the Duke dated Strathfieldsaye, Jan. 17th, he writes; 'You have been correctly informed; Her Majesty the Queen does intend to pay me a visit here on Monday the 20th and to remain till Thursday the 23rd.'  [Endnote 8]

"In the next letter from the Duke, dated Jan. 23rd, he writes—'I am much obliged to you my dear Miss J. for all your letters dated the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st which I have received regularly in due course. I wish that it were in my power to peruse them when I receive them—still more to acknowledge the receipt of them regularly. But that is impossible. My time is so much occupied that I have scarcely sufficient for Rest. However my Health continues excellent and my strength unimpaired.' The next letter from the Duke is dated Feb. 7th 1845, wherein he writes; 'I have received many letters from you, dated the 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 26th and Feb. 2nd, which I have not expressed the sense of gratitude I felt for your kindness in writing them. But in truth I have been so much occupied, not alone by my public business but by the afflicting sickness of one of my Family; one of whom,—My Niece, we have lost; and another, my brother, is still very unwell that I have really scarcely had time to turn about. However I thank God! my brother is stronger and better and I hope that he will be able to bear the remedies which must be administered to him.'

"In the Duke's next letter he writes, dating it Feb. 8th—'I fear that there was one letter which I did not acknowledge in my note of yesterday—that of the 3rd Inst. But I must say that my time and attention are so much taken up from morning till I go to bed at night that it is not surprising that I should pass over a letter in acknowledging the receipt of others, however kind and interesting, its contents. I have really more to do than I can find time for, notwithstanding my constant attention and diligence.'

"In the poor Duke's next letter he writes—dating it Feb. 25th; 'My omission to write to you etc—is to be attributed to my constant occupation in the Public service and since My return to Town in these latter days, since the Queen paid me a visit, by the continued illness of my poor brother; and by my attendance upon Him, his wife and afflicted family. I was very sensible of your kind offer of Assistance—But he had everything. We lost him, Alas! on Saturday night, I am happy to say without pain or suffering.  [Endnote 9] His last moments were those of a good Christian in peace with all the world and I trust, in the Mercy of the Almighty, in favor with Him! You are very kind and I am very sensible of your kindness in offering me consolation and in urging me to call upon you and I will do so as soon as it will be in my power and will write to apprize you of the Time.'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated March the 1st, he writes—'It is true I have been greatly afflicted. But by the Mercy of God My poor Brother suffered but little in his last Moments. Indeed I may say—no pain, from the disorder by which he had been afflicted and his mind was at ease and full of confidence in the Mercy of the Almighty.'

"In the Duke's next letter dated March 6th he writes—'I am concerned to learn that you are not well.'

"In the Duke's next letter he, after dating it March 15th, 1845, reports how occupied he is, adding; 'I regret exceedingly to learn that you are still unwell. But hope that we shall have moderate weather usual at this season, which will soon recruit your health.'"

London, April 18th, 1845.

My dear Miss J.,—I will give you an answer to your Note of the 17th just now received because my attention has just now been drawn to two paragraphs in the Morning Post, stating that I was taken ill in the House of Lords last night. I was last night and am at this moment thank God! as well as I ever was.

The truth is this. A Noble Lord, well known to be blind was standing on the floor near the place where I was sitting. I arose, gave him the assistance of my Arm and conducted him towards the door till I met another person who took charge of him.

That is the whole Story!

I returned to my place where I sat and took part in the discussion going on till the House adjourned.

A man called at my door to enquire how I was at eleven, not at twelve o'clock. The answer was. He is quite well, not, He is convalescent.

Ever Yours most faithfully,Wellington.

"The next letter from the Duke is dated April 21st, 1845, in which he replies to an enquiry I had made in a former Note or letter as follows; 'You did not see me in Piccadilly on Saturday the 19th. I was not in the Street on that day except to cross it on Horseback from my own House to the Park.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated May 8th wherein he writes; 'I have received and thank you for all your letters; the truth is that it takes me a long time to peruse them and I am obliged to do so by daylight, which I have not at command of sufficient duration to finish the whole that I have to read at one time.'

"In the Duke's next letter dated May 28th he writes—'The truth is that nobody can tell the amount of business which I have to transact who should not be a witness of my constant and unremitting exertions, and the degree in which my time is occupied. Thank God that I have health to perform all that is required.'

"Again in the Duke's letter dated May 30th he writes—'The truth is that my occupation in the service of the Public is incessant from one week's end to the other. It is not given to Man to be in two places at the same time and I have scarcely time for Rest—none for recreation or amusement even social.'

"In the Duke's next letter dated June 5th he writes 'My time is really so much employed as to have none for either repose or meals. We are now at the 5th of June. I have dined but twice since the 29th of May, although in perfect Health. I have scarcely time for Repose as you will see when I tell you that I returned home this morning only at half past four.'

"I knew that the Duke could find time to go to parties, etc, etc, therefore I considered such letters as mine ought not to be laid aside in silence, more especially as he was continually implying he meant to call upon me, but never did, so thus keeping my mind in suspense and expectation. This doubtless The Lord of lords in His infinite wisdom did not see fit to gratify, knowing far better what is good for us than we do for ourselves. Otherwise HE could and would have compelled him to come to me daily, whatever his occupations may have been.

"The Duke's next letter is dated June 7th, wherein he writes—'Besides being very good, you must admit that patience under disappointment is required from us all. That is all I ask from you.'

"Which I suppose sprang from my expressing disappointment at not seeing the Duke, little imagining that the Lord of lords had decreed he should never call again, knowing far better what is good for us than we do for ourselves. O that His Holy Name may be magnified throughout for His blessed Holy Name's Sake!

"In the Duke's next letter he writes at its conclusion, having dated it June 16th 1845 'I am quite well, thank God! notwithstanding the constant fatigue which I endure.'

"The next letter in due course from the Duke is dated June 27th, 1845, wherein he writes—'I am very sensible of your kindness in writing. I am anxious that you should recollect that if I omit to acknowledge the receipt of, and to thank you for the receipt of your letters regularly it is because I really have not leisure time. I assure you that since last Sunday I have dined only once, and that was on Wednesday. I thank God that I preserve my health and strength; and am really as strong as I was twenty-two years ago, but have not leisure time for social occupations of any description.'

"In the next letter from the Duke, dated July 14th, he writes; 'I have received from you letters of the 9th and 13th Inst. since I wrote last, for which I return my best thanks. I hope that the rainy weather will not prevent you from receiving the benefit which you expected to derive from your residence near the Sea.' Again the Duke writes in his next letter, dated July 17th; 'The weather still continues unpleasant but I hope that your residence by the Sea will be beneficial.'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated July 23rd, he writes—'I have received several letters from you lately, for which I return my grateful thanks. I only regret that I have not leisure to answer them punctually. I have not been able to dine for the last two days but I am quite well, thank God!'

"The next letter from the Duke is dated July the 26th, wherein he writes—'I return thanks for all your letters; I am very sensible of your kindness in writing to me and I am very happy to find that you think of returning to London.'

"The next letter from the Duke, dated Aug. 12th, refers to letters being rightly stamped, adding—'Your remedy is very simple—take care not to send a letter that is overweight. If you write one that is upon so much paper as that one Stamp will not be sufficient, put half the paper in one cover and half in the second or put two or three stamps on the same cover. I have likewise received back some letters written to you, notwithstanding that I invariably myself direct and stamp the letters addressed to you. I am really ashamed of giving you so much trouble.'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated Aug. 13th, he writes—'It is true that my public duties render it necessary for me to move to a distant part of the Country—I cannot complain. But it is the fact, that at a period of life at which other Men are seeking Repose, every moment of my time should be as it is, occupied by National duties which require my constant attendance and all my attention, and render me unfit for social duties and incapable of performing them.'

"In the next letter of the Duke's, dated Aug. 14th, he writes 'I write only one line to acknowledge the receipt of and thank you for your letter of the 13th which reached me last night. I am really very much concerned that my public duties and the attention which I am under the necessity of paying to their performance render me unfit for social life. I really have not leisure time for visits, scarcely to write. I am under the necessity of going out of Town this afternoon.'

"In his next letter, dated Aug. 19th, the Duke writes—'I perceive again that I must be very cautious to cross my t's and put dots to my i's and not omit an expression which I may ever have used or to make use of one which may be unusual lest I should again give offence.'

"Judging by the Duke's next letter, dated Aug. 23rd, I had begun to fear I should never see the Duke again, for he writes—'It has often occurred to me that you do not read my letters and that at all Events you pay but little attention to their Contents—If you had perused these letters and had believed what I wrote, you could not have asked this question. However I answer it—I do intend to go to see you whenever I can find time; that is, when my occupations in the Service of the Public will give me leisure for the performance of any Social duty or the pursuit of any relaxation, amusement or pleasure.'

"The Duke's next letter, dated Aug. 29th, conveys an impression that I had felt hurt at something written, as he writes 'I did not think it possible that I should ever write one word that could hurt your feelings and I sincerely beg your pardon.' The next letter from the Duke is dated Oct. 9th, 1845, wherein he thanks me for my letters and adds 'I am much obliged about your enquiries about my Health. I am quite well thank God! though much fatigued by hard work.'

"The next and the last letter of this year from the Duke is dated Dec. 3rd, wherein he writes; 'I assure you that I am very sensible of your continued kindness. I have not written to acknowledge the receipt of your letters and to thank you for them, as I really have not had time, having been so much occupied in the public Service. When I write to you I am sensible that I must not omit a word or a letter. The feeling that such omission will give you offence is alone an impediment, therefore I hope that you will excuse me.'"

CHAPTER IX.

MISUNDERSTANDINGS

The correspondence for 1846 begins smoothly, with no warning of the storm that was to burst before the year was out. From the Duke's first letter, it is evident that Miss J. had continued her epistles steadily, undeterred by the tartness of the Duke's last note, of December 3d. His first billet of the New Year is friendly in tone, while the brusqueness of the second quoted is explained by her comment thereupon. From the knowledge gained of her through her letters one can imagine what must have been the pious querulousness of her "remark."

"1846.—The first letter from the Duke in this year is dated Jan. 7th, wherein he writes—'I have received your letter of the 4th Inst., having before received many for which I really have not had the time to enable me to write and thank you as I ought to have done, as my sincere and heartfelt acknowledgments are due to you for your continued kindness towards me.'

"I presume judging by the Duke's next letter that I had made some remark concerning his silence, as he writes therein dating it Jan. 14th—'I have scarcely time for rest or meals. You must excuse me! I cannot do it! Surely patience is a Christian virtue enjoined to us by the precepts as well as by the example of our Saviour.'"

Biographers of the Duke mention his power of going for hours without food, and then atoning for his abstinence by a hearty meal. His usual daily routine was to rise at seven, and go out of doors at once, returning to breakfast at nine. He ate no lunch, and dined at seven. When much pressed with work, he was accustomed to have his dinner served on a small round oaken table in the library, where he ate alone, surrounded by his papers. His correspondence was enormous, owing to his practice of answering all his letters himself. He occasionally availed himself of a lithographed form in reply to some correspondents, and also sometimes adopted a sharpness of tone in answering irrelevant communications, in the hope that he might thus hinder their authors from writing again. As a rule, however, a courteous letter was apt to receive a courteous reply. The narrowness of Miss J.'s mental horizon is nowhere more strikingly shown than by her inability to comprehend the whirl of business that must have made life, to a man of the Duke of Wellington's conscientiousness, a ceaseless round of fatiguing labor.

"In the Duke's next letter, dated Feb. 4th, he writes—'I have received many letters from you and I am really ashamed of being under the necessity of repeating over again what I have stated so repeatedly, that I have not leisure time to acknowledge the receipt of and thank you for each of your letters when it reaches me.'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated March 13th, he writes—'I don't know whether you ever read the letters which I write to you. I doubt it, because I cannot make out how it happens that you do not notice or believe what I tell you in every one that I write, namely, that my time is so much occupied that I have scarcely time for the rest which is necessary.'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated March 20th, he writes—'I have received all your letters, the last this day, dated Wednesday, March 18th. I should have answered the two earlier ones at the time I received them if I had had one moment's leisure.'"

Strathfieldsaye, April 17, 1846.

My dear Miss J.—I have just now received your Note of the 15th and I am very sorry to observe that I have again offended you by quitting London without going to pay you a visit; and because I have not acknowledged the receipt of some late letters received from you.

I wish I could induce you to believe that the disposal of my time does not depend upon myself; whether to pay visits or to write.

I have received all your letters, but have not written answers to them; or to thank you for them; because I really have not had Time.

I am obliged to you for having informed me that you intend to quit your Residence on Saturday that is to-morrow.

If you will let me know where you will reside in future I will go to pay you a visit if I should have one Moment of Leisure.

I don't recollect to have sent my Servant with a letter to Mr. L.

If he took one there, I conclude it was because when I gave it to put into the Post, the Hour was passed at which it would be received at the Post Office and he took it to the Gentleman to whom it was directed.

But this is mere Conjecture. I know nothing about the matter.

Ever, My Dear Miss J. Yours most faithfully,Wellington.

"In the Duke's next letter, dated May 30th, he writes—'I am not surprised at your vexation in neither receiving an acknowledgment of the receipt of your letters nor a visit from me. But I have always considered Patience an eminently Christian virtue—I assure you again that my time is so much occupied! I have dined but once since last Sunday! These are well known facts!—I returned home to rest at five o'clock yesterday morning on Horseback! I was employed all day yesterday after that Repose and did not return till two in the morning!'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated June 24th, he writes, after thanking me for my 'continued kindness;'—'I had before received several letters from you, for all of which and your continued kindness I return you my thanks. In respect to your question whether it is probable that I can go to see you before the 1st of July I answer that I will if it should be in my power but I cannot be certain or now fix the time. Till this night I have not dined since last Sunday and I doubt whether I shall again till next Sunday. I have scarcely time for Rest—None for Meals and as you may suppose none for visits. However I will go to see you if it should be in my power and will write to give you Notice.'

"I think if the Duke were to return to the world he would consider no duties before those connected with communion with me, who was so solicitous to strengthen him in every good word and work. But it was not to be! Therefore however much I may and did suffer, such I trust will be permitted to rank among the 'All things that are to work together for Good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose,' and since there never was a moment when the Duke did not sink into the utmost insignificance in comparison with His good will and pleasure, such must necessarily follow.

"The poor Duke's next letter, dated July 13th I will copy throughout as it refers to his affliction—in the loss of his Grand Son."  [Endnote 10]

This letter is interesting as giving a glimpse of that softer side of the Duke's nature, generally lost sight of in contemplation of his sterner characteristics.

London, July 13, 1846.

My dear Miss J.,—I have received your letters of the 12th and Friday last on the subject of the loss I recently sustained of my Grandson, the eldest Son of my second son. Poor boy! he died on Tuesday! By the Mercy of God! the second son, an infant has recovered. But at one time I was apprehensive that the grief of the Mother who was nursing the youngest child would have affected Her Health; and that we should have lost that Child; and eventually the Mother. But thank God! Both are now safe! I am very sensible of your kindness upon this occasion. I wish that it was in my power to tell you that I have any prospect of being able to go to see you! But I cannot expect to be able to do so at present! Believe me, My Dear Miss J. Ever Yours